Game



INVENTOR,

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ATTORNE M. A ELLIOTTE GAME Filed Dec. 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet lSDSUEUEUSUEUSUSUEUSM EE334455EE77EBES 5OOOOOOOGGOGYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOGOOGOQOOGOOO Nov. 26, 1935.

Nov. 26, 1935. M. A. ELLIOTTE 2,022,278

GAME

Filed Dec. 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dgwgw A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME Marion A. Elliotte, Philadelphia, Pa.Application December 29, 1933, Serial No. 704,383 7 Claims. (01.273F143) The object of the invention is to provide improvements in gamesbroadly, but more particularly in that type in which the element ofchance is emphasized.

Another object more specifically is to provide a device of thischaracter, in which one or more indicia-carrying rotary elements are setinto motion, and after a variable period of rotation are suddenlybrought to rest, soas to visually indicate a corresponding number ofsuch indicia,

- after which the parties operating the device may note the same, eitherupon a score-keeping structure of the device itself, or in some mannerseparate from the device.

Still another object is to provide in such a device a plurality of thesaid rotary elements, and a single means for arresting the motion of thesame, but so constructed as to stop said elements in a slightlydifierent sequence of time, or in other words by a delayed action of oneafter another.

A still further object is to provide for such a device means forimparting rotary motion to the said elements, consisting of frictionmeans adapted to yieldingly impart the desired motion, preferablyin onedirection first, and then in the other direction, and comprising in oneembodiment an oscillatory driving member having a V- shaped frictionsurface, and a driven member carried by each of the rotary elements andalso having V-shaped friction surfaces engageable with saidfirst-mentioned driving surface, all for the purpose of providing asemi-positive driving mechanism adapted to offset wear of said members,while eliminating the irregular engagement, disengagement and jarring ofthe conventional type of gear and other means of power transmission,commonly employed.

With these general objects in view, the invention comprises furtherdetails of construction and operation, which are fully brought out inthe following description, when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of oneembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a development of the peripheral indicia-bearing surfaces ofone of the rotary elements;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of one of the scoring pegs or similarmembers;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the operating unit of the device, removedfrom the surrounding casins;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rotary elements and associatedarresting mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line l-'! of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the fric- 5 tional engagement of theoscillatory actuating member and the two grooved friction pulleysengaged thereby.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention comprises acasing I, having sub- 10 stantially its entire top Wall provided with anaperture, normally covered by means of a closure 2, said closurecomprising, either a single section, or a plurality of sections, inwhich latter case the normally forward closure section 2 covers thatportion of the interior of the casing in which is located the mechanismillustrated in Figs.

2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, while the other or rearwardly positioned closuresection 2 merely serves as a score-keeping board provided with parallelrows of apertures in columns headed by the respective digits fl, 2, 3,together with continuations of said rows respectively headed by 4, 5 and6. Between the primary rows first-mentioned and their continuationsthere may be printed, engraved, or otherwise indicated upon thesescore-keeping closure sections a series of score-indicating numerals, orother suitable indicia, as represented by the consecutive numerals 5,10, 15 and so on to 100, or higher if necessary, or with greater or lessnumerical gaps between said numbers if desired. There may also beprovided in this board? a series of additional apertures 3 and 4, toafford means for loosely receiving and supporting the pins or pegs 5(Fig. 3), by which two or more persons playing keep the score of theirrespective plays in the first-mentioned rows. of apertures and theirextensions.

The first-mentioned closure section 2 is provided with preferably two ormore window apertures 6 and l, and also with apertures 8 and 9, thruwhich latter slidably extend the respective actuating and brake rods l0and II, carrying the respective finger-engageable buttons or knobs I2and I3.

Within the casing I, the mechanism hereinbefore referred to preferablycomprises a pair of polygonal rotary elements I4 and I5, mounted uponshafts l6 and i1 respectively, which latter 0 are journalled in theoppositely positioned side plates l8 and l9 of a suitable frame, saidplates being properly spaced by means'of bars 20. Said shafts l6 and i1carry friction pulleys 2| and 22, each being provided with a concave,preferably V-shaped slot, and also suitable ratchet or star wheels 23and 24. 7

Also carried by said frame is a shaft 25, carrying a gear 26 inalignment and adapted to mesh with the rack teeth 21 upon the actuatingrod it], said rack teeth either being out of mesh with the gear 26 whenthe device is at rest, or in constant mesh therewith as may be desired.The shaft 25 also carries a driving member comprising a segment 28,provided upon its radially outer curved surface with a friction member29 of leather or other suitable material adapted to engage andfrictionally cooperate with the grooved surfaces of the two pulleys 2|and 22, as hereinafter described, while preferably surrounding the shaft25 is a coil spring 30, one end of which is secured at 32 to the drivingmember 28, while the opposite end is secured at 33 to the frame plate19.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7, the framemechanism comprises an oscillatable lever 34, pivotally mounted by meansof a pin 35 upon an extension 36 of the frame plate l9, said lever uponits outer arm being provided with a laterally extending projection 31,adapted to be engaged by the lowermost end of the frame bar II, when theknob 13 is pressed downwardly against the tension of the coil spring 38.The opposite arm of said lever is provided with a pair of oppositelyextending projections 39 and 49, in turn provided with upwardlyprojecting rounded or tapered fingers 4| and 42, of which one is longerthan the other, while both of them are adapted, upon depression of theknob l3, to extend into the path of rotation of and between theconsecutive teeth of said star wheels 23 and 24.

In the operation of the device and with the parts in the relativearrangement shown in the drawings, as illustrative of one embodiment ofthe invention, the actuating knob I 2 may be quickly depressed and thenreleased as many times as a player may desire, in order to insure acomplete shuffling of the numerals or other indicia carried by theseveral faces 43 of the respective rotatable elements l4 and I5, as seenin Fig. 2, or in other words to insure a change in the angular relationbetween said elements upon their respective shafts fromthe relativepositions at which they came to rest with the previous operation of thedevice. After the actuating knob has been thus depressed and re-'leased, during which action the segment 28 has passed to and fro thruthe are indicated by dotted lines Fig. 8, and thereby ultimatelyengaging the pulleys 2| and 22 in sequence, first in one direction andthen in the other, it will be noted that said elements are free to spinupon their respective axes. Finally, after either a relatively long orshort period of spinning, the rotation of said elements may be arrestedas suddenly as may be desired by depressing the break knob l3. Thisoperation tilts the lever 34, so that the fingers 4| and 42 riseupwardly into the respective paths of rotation of the teeth or starwheels 23 and 24, respectively. However, as one of said fingers is bydesign longer than the other, the star wheel adjacent thereto and itscorresponding element l5 are stopped or arrested substantially earlierthan the corresponding halting of the rotation of the other star wheeland its associated element.

Upon the rotation of said elements being thus halted, it is obvious thatthe numerals or other indicia carried by the uppermost faces thereof maybe rotated thru the respective plates 5 and 1,

and these digits added, subtracted, multiplied, or otherwise reckoned,as may be demanded by the particular game for which the device isoperated, and the pegs 5 being moved progressively thru the respectiverows and extensions of the same 5 hereinbefore referred to, iri order'to keep the scores of the persons operating the device.

. I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and10 I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to theappended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate thescope of the invention. 15

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, drivenmeans rotatable there- 20 with, a pivotally mounted oscillatable drivingmember adapted to frictionally engage and disengage said driven means,and common means to positively halt the rotation of said elements otherthan simultaneously. 25

2. A game device,-comprising a plurality of rotary elements, aligneddriven means rotatable therewith, a single pivotally mountedoscillatable driving member adapted to frictionally engage and rotatesaid elements in sequence, resilient 30 means to normally maintain saidmember in a given, position, and manually actuatable means operableagainst the tension of said resilient means, to shift said drivingmember and rotate said elements. V

3. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, aligneddriven means rotatable therewith, a single pivotally mountedoscillatable driving member adapted to frictionally engage and rotatesaid elements in sequence, resilient means to normally maintain saidmember in a given position, manually actuatable means operable againstthe tension of said resilient means,

V to shift said'driving member and rotate said elements, and commonmeans positively to halt 15 the rotation of said elements other thansimultaneously.

4. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, drivenmeans rotatable therewith, a pivotally mounted oscillatable driving 50member adapted to frictionally engage and rotate said elements,resilient means to normally maintain said member in a given position,manually actuatable means operable against the tension of said resilientmeans, to shift said driving member and rotate said elements, toothedwheels rotatable with said elements, and common means engageable to afixed different extent with the teeth of' said wheels, to halt therotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

5. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, a pluralityof driven means rotatable with each element and in substantial alignmentwith each other, a single pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member,adapted to frictionally engage and disengage said driven means insequence, and common means to positively halt the rotation of saidelements other than simultaneously.

6. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary. elements, aplurality of driven means rotatable with each element and in substantialalignment with each other, a single pivotally mounted oscillatabledriving member, adapted to 751 frictionally engage and disengage saiddriven means in sequenee, and common manually actuatable means topositively halt the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

7. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, a pluralityof driven means in substantial alignment rotatable therewith, a singlepivotally mounted oscillatable driving member adapted to frictionallyengage and rotate said elements, resilient means to normally maintainsaid member in a given position, manually actuatable means operableagainst the tension of said resilient means, to shift the driving memherand rotate said elements, toothed wheels rotatable with said elements,and common means engageable to a fixed different extent with the I teethof said wheels, to halt the rotation of said elements other thansimultaneously.

MARION A. ELLIOTTE.

